Wife of South Korea's former justice minister arrested in corruption scandal

South Korean authorities arrested the wife of a former justice minister on Thursday who was at the centre of a graft scandal and was a close political confidant of President Moon Jae-in after a court upheld prosecutors' request for a warrant.

The arrest of Chung Kyung-shim, a college professor and the wife of former justice minister Cho Kuk, comes as part of an investigation by prosecutors into Cho's family's financial investments and his children's college admissions. After the warrant hearing, Chung's lawyer said that he refuted the charges and explained Chung's innocence at the court. Cho stepped down last week after just one month in office. His appointment triggered a crisis for Moon that brought protesters from both sides of the political spectrum to the streets.